Latin Lawyer introduces International Elite
For the first time, Latin Lawyer 250 presents International Elite, revealing the international firms that we believe are operating at the very top of the region’s legal market.
Since 2015, Latin Lawyer has been drawing on decades of extensive research into Latin America’s legal markets to identify the region’s leading law firms. Our intention was to shine a light on firms that are not only excellent in the work they do and the service they provide to clients, but whose leaders also give care and attention to creating a strong institutional law firm. These firms are performing cutting-edge legal work in their countries today, while also creating a law firm for tomorrow.
Building on the success of Latin Lawyer Elite in Latin America, we are proud to introduce a similar group of international firms to the ranking. The firms listed below have all achieved an elevated standing in the region thanks to their Latin American practice group’s commitment, strategic vision, investment in relationships with clients and local firms, exceptional legal skills, geographical reach, wider contribution to the community and more.
For over a century, international firms have been looking to make the most out of the wide array of opportunities Latin America has to offer and have made concerted efforts to carve out practice areas dedicated to the region.
The firms that have been included in Elite stand out for their long-established practices dedicated to Latin American work. Thanks to their foresight and investment in the region, these firms have built up in-depth knowledge of local markets. While each outfit offers something unique to clients, these firms boast some of the most impressive talent dedicated to the region and have proven themselves capable of handling the most high-value, sophisticated, complex and often precedent-setting deals. They also invest significant time and effort in maintaining their competitive edge, through astute business development and careful talent management.
To finalise the list of international Elite firms, we drew on more than two decades of on-the-ground knowledge to award firms points in several distinct areas of excellence designed to recognise the robustness of these institutions. Our research relied on data compiled through our own leading independent surveys into management practices, including diversity, international experience and pro bono. We also considered research conducted into each legal marketplace as part of the Latin Lawyer 250 and factored in our daily news coverage of the leading deals and cases across Latin America. Research conducted by our affiliate brand, the Latin American Corporate Counsel Association (LACCA), supplemented our findings.
Latin Lawyer International Elite 2023 firms listed below have each carved out their own paths towards excellence and demonstrate unique areas of strength. For more details on the individual practices of each firm and data on how they scored in each category click here.
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP
Clifford Chance LLP
Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
Milbank
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
White & Case LLP
In creating Latin Lawyer Elite, we also hoped to foment discussion around standards across the Latin American legal profession, and produce content that helps firms identify their best fit in this changing market and find ways to add value, by drawing on the experiences of those who are at the top of their game. To fulfil that goal, we hold biennial roundtables for Elite managing partners and invite them to participate in regular surveys. See our latest survey here.
Besides the launch of Latin Lawyer International Elite, we also release today the Latin Lawyer 250 Performance Index. The tool examines historic benchmarking data, assessing the achievements of every law firm currently in the Latin Lawyer 250, including international counsel. You can access it here.